The garbage disposal is one of the most useful appliances in your kitchen, even if it is tucked away under your sink. Nobody likes to see food waste lying about, and it doesn’t take long for it to begin to smell. It’s crucial that garbage is disposed of swiftly and thoroughly in locations where food is prepared. In addition to learning how to clean a sink, effective waste disposal is crucial for maintaining hygiene.
Naturally, you should always exercise caution before consigning something to the area below the sink, but fingers and wedding bands aren’t the only items that should never be placed close to the garbage disposal. Make sure you are aware of the specific items you must never dispose of in the garbage disposal.
1. Grease/Fat
Even though fats and grease can be revolting, the solution is not to toss them down the garbage disposal. They have the ability to slow down the system and possibly clog it. Make sure to wash fatty meals before putting them away while disposing of them.
Check with your local waste management businesses and, if applicable, filter and strain the fats and oils before sending them for recycling. Some fats and oils can be recycled and converted into biofuel. For any birds that come to your garden, you could even mix it with suet and lard to make fat balls.
2. Ground coffee
The same cannot be true for your garbage disposal, even though you may not function without your morning cup of coffee. Extra coffee grounds can congeal in the garbage disposal to create a thick paste, which can slow down or stop the machine entirely.
Due to their high nitrogen content, used coffee grounds are ideal for composting. Save your used coffee grounds and distribute them around your favorite plants to repel garden pests like snails and slugs.
3. Fibrous vegetables and fruits
Asparagus and celery are particularly stringy fruits and vegetables that are fantastic for people but are particularly problematic for a garbage disposal. They frequently become entangled in the system’s blades. Add the leftovers to your compost if you can’t consume them and they won’t last.
4. Shells of egg
Your garbage disposal has a hard time dissolving eggshells. Some claim that they are helpful for sharpening the blades, however this is untrue. Eggshells make excellent composting material, and those with a green thumb can try using them as temporary seedling pots. Slugs can be successfully kept away from your plants by using eggshells.
5. Pasta
Pasta’s stickiness presents a challenge for garbage disposal systems. It can cause a clog and is challenging to break up. It is advised that you eat it or at the very least, store it in the refrigerator.
Pasta leftovers can be cooked up or used in a casserole and are safe to consume even when cold. Throw it away if it’s spoiled or if you don’t have a place to store it.
6. Chemicals such as bleach
Bleach and other synthetic cleaning agents are too powerful for your garbage disposal system. In addition to harming the pipes and blades, they will also destroy beneficial bacteria that aid in the breakdown of the right products. For additional information, go to our tutorial on how to clean a garbage disposal. We advise using ice and lemon to clean your system.
Bleach should be diluted with water before being disposed of if you can’t offer it to someone who needs it. You should also make sure the bottle is empty before recycling or disposing of it.
7. Paint
Latex and oil paint in particular can result in a substantial buildup in a waste disposal. Wait until paint has dried and become hard before throwing it away carefully. You could even squirt extra paint onto a piece of old newspaper, let it dry, and then discard the newspaper. Avoid throwing away paint if you can; instead, donate it to a charity or a school, or if all else fails, ask for advice from your neighborhood recycling center. If sealed, paint can survive for around ten years, so it might be worth keeping.
8. Produce Stickers
On waste from fresh fruit, such as banana peels, stickers are simple to leave behind. Before using the garbage disposal, make sure to take off any stickers because in addition to being sticky, they are not biodegradable and won’t decompose. Although these stickers frequently advertise ecologically friendly products, you should throw them in the trash because they cannot be recycled.
When cooking meat in a pan, adding a banana peel is an excellent method to keep it soft. Some people have even been known to use banana peels to polish shoes and silver.
9. Bones
Larger bones are an accident waiting to happen, but small bones should be okay to flush down the sink. The effort needed to grind them up, even if they do, might deplete your system. Throw bones in the garbage rather than taking a chance with them because the safe size will vary based on your sink and disposal system.
Making stock or broth from bones, especially those from chickens, is the traditional way to utilise them. If not, place them in the compost container.
10. Rice
The occasional grain of rice won’t ruin your garbage disposal, but each one expands to multiple times its original size and becomes sticky when it comes in contact with water. Even cooked rice poses a risk. One of the most frequent obstructions is rice, which ought to be thrown away.
Disposing of items properly will extend the life of your garbage disposal and help you prevent high plumbing expenses, in addition to saving the environment.
11. Skin of chicken
Chicken skin is difficult to break up and adheres to the edges of the pipes in the waste disposal. The worst part is that it can stay in the system for days or even weeks and begin to smell bad.
You may make chicken skin into crackling by cooking it until it is crisp, or you can powder it and add it to a chicken Caesar salad.
